Akai Ito
by Cashmeritan
Summary: New Amuto series! Ikuto had promised her that no matter what, he would always return to her somehow. Then he disappeared years ago, leaving the same cryptic words as always, 'Hurry and grow up.' Amu's grown up somewhat, yet she still cares for Tadase...


_A/N: This story was born from a 3 day binge of watching nothing but Shugo Chara!. I ate and watched it. I slept it. I ate it. I was it. I became it. Anyway, if you look at my profile you will see that I am an avid fanfic-tard (except I have a nasty habit of leaving things untouched for many months...years...decades..), so I decided I had to indulge in reading something from SC. I was kind of disappointed in what I saw, no offense. I have tried to sift through the 'AMU KILLS HERSELF IN FRONT OF IKUTO, WHAT DOES HE DO' and likewise stories, along with random stand-alone lemons that I may check out at a later date, and random AU high school stories that make me wonder about the demographic majority thing of the writers on this site. But the majority just seem to have poor grammar and spelling, and it makes me cry._

_So to indulge my oh-so-mature 19 year old tastes (LOL, hope someone I know reads this and cries bullshit), I've written this little...gem. As you can tell, I'm sarcastic at times, mostly because I'm kinda hungry right now. Why am I writing so much? Idk. ANYWAY._

_Ikuto is the epitome of the pinnacle of what my wet dreams consist of. His dad is super sexy too. Not sure who would win in a contest. The whole pedo thing between him and Amu made me a bit uncomfortable, so I just kept imagining that Amu was older. I certainly didn't act that way when I was 12. No, I was writing Teen Titans Beast Boy/Raven fanfiction on here when I was 12. So I decided to come up with a time-skip of sorts and here it is._

_Plot? Not sure if I have one. If you have any ideas that aren't mpreg, KILLS HERSELF, KILLS HIMSELF, KILLS DIA BEFORE KILLING HERSELF, or something equally silly, then I'll be more than happy to use it and credit you, too! :D_

_Title subject to change. Please review! I like that stuff. It saves me from throwing darts at a dartboard with all of my hopes and dreams on it._

_Just be gentle. ;) It's my first time writing Shugo Chara. Also, forgive the random variations of 'chara' and 'guardian character' that I use in here._

–

**Akai Ito**

–

**Chapter 1**

–

Ikuto never seemed to have anything wrong with getting insufferably close to Amu, to the point of eliminating whatever personal space she had; in fact, it seemed to be quite commonplace for him to do such things. At first, Amu would react with a jolt and a bright red blush before her bearings were regained and she would attack the alley cat tooth and nail to protect her supposed dignity. However, as time drew on and their relations grew closer, though she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, she found herself reacting less and less. No longer did she flinch and throw his hand away as if it was a steaming pitch-fork shot up from the gates of Hell. His face no longer seemed like a looming danger that needed to be Super-Amu-Kettobase!-Kick'ed. Rather, he was just... Ikuto.

Well, he wasn't _just_ Ikuto. He was _Ikuto_. It was difficult to explain, but for some reason after her 2nd year of middle school began, she started to desire his presence more and more. Things that seemed weird or creepy, like his 6 year age difference, now seemed mysterious and alluring. He had just turned 20 by the time she turned 14. To add more of an explanation, his devilishly handsome looks hadn't changed at all in her eyes. His face had lost some of its boyish roundness, hardening slightly, and the wisps of his cat-like bangs had begun to grow in the direction that his father had worn them in.

One thing did change about Ikuto, something that she should have noticed earlier yet truly didn't give two X-eggs about.

Every time that he would loom in and get close, or otherwise act sweet with her in a way that sent her heart racing and she could swear that she saw something in his eyes soften behind the mischief...

"Never mind. Just hurry up and grow up."

He would promptly leave her, but not before fixing a sly lopsided grin to his face as he gave one last look at her from over his shoulder, perhaps to assure her that what he had just said wasn't something bad. Maybe he didn't want her to pay attention to what he said, and yet he said it so often...

Ikuto began to say it more. Each time he snuck up on Amu on his way home from the orchestra, tapping on her window, or each time she caught him practicing in the park just like in the days when they first met. Often, Yoru would swing by first and then Amu and the whole group of chara's would head to his location to surprise him for a change.

Amu had never paid attention, really. She lived in a world much different from his, filled with the last breaths of a little girl's childhood and the annoying tangles of young adolescence. He had an apartment that he paid for with his own money. She was budgeting the rent of an imaginary apartment in Home Economics class.

By the time she understood, it was too late, and she felt all the more bitter for suddenly realizing that all the signs had been laid before her the entire time.

"Amu."

"Murrr, what is it? Can't you see I'm elbow deep in Algebra?" Amu grumbled, peering up at her unwanted guest. If it was a sudden visitor dropping in through her bedroom visitor, it had to be Ikuto.

He was standing in the doorway from what her peripheral vision could detect. After a couple moments, she swung her head in his direction, wearing a disgruntled expression.

"I'm going away," Ikuto said.

"Already? I didn't even have to harass you first?" Amu raised her eyebrows slightly before turning back to her desk, raising her pencil to try and finish this awful equation. Why on earth were letters now a part of math? Like she cared about X. The only X she cared about was the X labeled on those blackened eggs.

His mouth tugged slightly, but there was something in his gaze that was almost unreadable, yet at a distance it clearly depicted a vague unhappiness. "Really now? No, Amu. I'm leaving here; Tokyo."

"Even better!" Amu said mindlessly before his words caught up to her, and she flipped around, jaw dropped. "Wait, what?"

Ikuto turned away from her, facing the nighttime skyline outside the window. "I'm leaving Tokyo. Possibly Japan, entirely."

Amu's mouth remained agape, but her eyes widened as well. "Even Japan? Ikuto, why?"

He looked at her from over his shoulder, grinning. "Who knows. Maybe that stray cat feeling is settling in, I just feel like wandering. I may try to go to New York City."

"New York City? AMERICA? Do you even speak English?" Amu gasped.

"Don't assume that just because you fail at any dialect other than Standard Tokyo Japanese, everyone else is incapable of learning any sort of language." His eyes glittered mischievously.

Amu blushed, glaring back weakly. "S-Shut up!" Her eyes softened and her lips set into a worried line. "Ikuto, are you going to come back?"

He closed the distance between them in record time, his nose merely inches from hers. As his eyes bore into hers, he was clearly smirking as he spoke.

"Of course I will. I made a promise, didn't I? I will always come back to you, no matter what."

She felt a little lightheaded, her face felt unbearably hot. Where was her cool and spicy self when she needed it? She tried to regain her composure by saying, "Did you decide that all by yourself?"

"Mhm." In a second he had restored her treasured personal space, yet continued to loom over her in a way that made her heart's pattern very unsteady and noticeably so. "I have a feeling that you'll thank me for it someday, too."

Amu turned her nose up, "Hmph. Fat chance." The evidence against her claim was stupendous though. She was trembling slightly and her cheeks were brightly colored in a feverish blush.

Ikuto made a noise of amusement. "Just remember to hurry and grow up. I'll be back for you. Don't forget it." He cryptically headed towards the window before Amu called out for him.

"Wait! Ikuto! When will you be back?" Her face was etched with worry that she didn't bother to conceal.

His lips spread in a tiny smile. "Who knows? Months. Years. Decades."

Her false frown faltered momentarily, and she looked at him like he was crazy. "Ikuto...?"

That smile of his didn't fade even for a second. "Just hurry and grow up...Amu."

Before she could respond, he had opened the window and disappeared.

"Hmph. Perverted cat thief," she grumbled, though her expression was on the verge of sadness.

–

Amu didn't understand why she was feeling sad. After all, her feelings for Ikuto were merely confused ones, and his age difference made anything between them impossible. Despite how much he wanted her to grow up, it was going to take years, and in the end she might not turn out to be the Amu that he wanted her to be.

Tadase on the other hand... Every time she looked at him, she just knew that what she felt for him was actually there. Sure, his insides were a little bit strange after she got to know him inside and out, but his perks made him even cuter.

However...

_Ikuto._

–

6 months passed. Amu sat on her bed clutching a pillow, surrounded by her guardian characters.

"Nee, Amu-chan," Miki ventured. "Maybe Ikuto-san was telling the truth when he said it could be 'years'."

"Or 'decades'..." Su added, her eyes wide in wonder at how someone could be away for so long. She began to tremble. "Poor Ikuto-san. I hope he's doing well..."

Amu hugged her pillow tighter, nodding. "Yeah... I hope he is, too." She stared out at the cloudy moon, deep in thought. Dia floated beside her, expressionless.

"Cheer up, Amu-chan..." Ran murmured.

–

"Unyaa," mewed Yoru. "This place really suits you for some reason. Look at all the alleyways!"

"Hn."

"So many people... But the food smells differentunnya..."

"Hn."

"Nee, nee! Ikuto, are we going to explore? Let's get something to eat. Nyaaaa... Are there any Japanese people here?"

"Hn. Who knows."

"Hmph. Sometimes that attitude of yours really gets old. Nya."

–

"Amu-chan! Breakfast!"

"I'll be right down!" Amu called back. She had just buttoned her jeans and was grabbing her hair brush to try and tame her pink locks when she took a quick glance in the mirror. "Miki, how do I look?"

Quietly, 5 years had come and gone, and Hinamori Amu had finally become a woman. Or so her father always reminded her each morning tearfully as soon as she stepped downstairs. She had grown her hair just past her shoulders, yet kept her bangs in the same style she had worn them since childhood. Instead of hurrying to eat and run out the door to meet up with her friends for middle school, she had gotten accepted at a modest University downtown, along with Yaya, Tadase, and Rima. Nagehiko was studying at a Japanese dance school in Kyoto, and Kukai was pursuing athletics on a full scholarship at a semi-prestigious University in the heart of the city.

Amu turned around and showed off her outfit to her guardian characters, who had remained by her side through every year. Even now, she was still unsure of what she wanted in the future, but having them with her made her feel more at ease.

"Hmm... Something looks a bit off..." Miki surveyed, pressing her index finger to her chin.

"Oh, how cute!" Ran gushed. Su rushed up beside her.

"Yes, yes! It's super cute! You should wear it, Amu-chan!"

"But, I just said-"

"Um, you always find something wrong with an outfit, Miki. You're somewhat of a perfectionist..." Su said, before the 3 burst out laughing.

Amu couldn't help but join in.

Dia popped out of her egg, surveyed the situation, and then went back into her egg promptly.

As soon as she had gone downstairs and her father had laid eyes on her, he burst into tears.

"I want to run away! Our two daughters have both grown up! Look at our Amu-chan, she's a full-grown woman now!" he moaned.

"Papa, you knew this would happen someday. Besides, we still have Ami-chan," Amu's Mama said, smiling weakly as she sat down at the table.

"Yeah, Papa, what about me?" Ami asked, batting her eyelashes. By now, she was about 9 years old, yet she still acted like a 2 year old sometimes. It often reminded Amu of Yaya...

"Of course we still have Ami, but she's getting older too!" Papa whined. "Amu's going to get snatched up by some tall, dark and handsome young man and before we know it, Mama and I are going to be grand-parents!"

"Papa!" Amu cried, blushing. "Don't talk like that! That's not going to happen."

"Hmm... I miss having a baby around," Mama murmured. "It wouldn't be so bad to be a grand-parent."

"MAMA!" both Amu and Papa shrieked at once.

"What about me?" Ami shouted.

–

"I hate it when my parents talk about awkward things," Amu muttered as she slipped her shoes on and exited the front door.

"I think it's more funny than awkward," Miki said, smirking. Amu shot her a dirty look before setting off for the train station to head to school.

"Amu-chan," Ran fluttered up and bobbed up and down beside her ear. "Do you think you and Tadase-kun will get married?"

Amu's pace stopped short, and a daydream instantly bloomed that made her eyes glaze over and her lips twitch and begin to drool. Once something presumably spoiled the fantasy in her own imagination, she shook her head back and forth and cried, "I won't dress up like a school girl!"

The three guardians were rendered dumb-struck, staring at their keeper in varying states of shock, confusion, and discomfort.

"A-Amu-chan?" Su tentatively began.

The pink-haired girl was breathing heavily, gritting her teeth and growling for a few moments, until reality settled upon her. She blushed, and laughed nervously. "Heh... Um..."

"I guess I shouldn't have asked..." Ran mused, pouting slightly.

"Let's keep walking!" Amu announced, jutting her index finger into the air.

–

A groan escaped Amu's lips as she stepped onto the campus of Dairaku University. "Welcome to hell," she muttered.

The grounds were filled with students who were either wasting time before their morning classes or trying to get to class within the last couple minutes before they were set to begin. Usually, the campus outdoors weren't too popular of a setting for student loitering, but with the advent of spring and all of its colorful glory it was no wonder that it had drawn everyone outside.

The semester had just begun a few weeks ago, and the Sakura trees were just about to reach their prime. Dairaku's grounds were absolutely dotted with the trees, which left their mark as each petal gathered on the grass. If she stopped and stared, she could almost get hypnotized by the gently swaying motion of the cherry blossom trees.

"So pretty..." Su sighed happily.

"I feel so inspired each day I come here," Miki commented, floating over to a Sakura branch and nestling onto a bud that hadn't quite blossomed yet. "This one is so cute!"

"Hinamori-san!"

4 heads turned to see a tall, impeccably gorgeous blond male smiling at Amu with sparkling wine-colored eyes.

"T-Tadase-kun!" Amu sputtered, straightening her outfit and reaching up to try and discreetly smooth her hair.

He approached her, smiling the same smile that had always caused her heart to skip a beat. He was so warm, so... accommodating? It seemed that no matter how she acted throughout those terribly awkward years as a teenager, he still saw her as some kind of fantastic being worth being around. Not that she was complaining or anything...

Kiseki darted out from behind Tadase's head, wearing a condescending look that wasn't atypical of his nature. "Hinamori-san, good morning."

"Kiseki," Amu acknowledged with a knowing smile, before turning her attention back to the gorgeous, sparkling, kira-kira hunk of man before her. Oh, kami-sama... how all of the Gods above had been kind to Tadase-kun throughout his years of growing, blessing him with a flawless physique that still made girls speechless and left heaps of chocolate on his desk on Valentine's day. He had a build that was fit for a prince, not too sleek and lanky, yet not too stocky and muscular. Perhaps 'lean' was a good word, yet all she knew was that it felt good to throw her arms around him whenever she got the chance.

"Hinamori-san, did you sleep well?" Tadase asked, a few lines of worry marring his otherwise flawless face.

"Y-Yes, I did!" Amu replied hurriedly. It was an automatic answer, as she couldn't bear to imagine his reaction if she were to say 'no'. In all honesty, she hadn't slept well. She woke up having the feeling that she had had a dream, yet she couldn't remember any fragments of one.

The worry evaporated from his face entirely as he smiled again. "That's good..." A rhythmic beeping coming from his pocket interrupted whatever he would have said next, and he reached in and withdrew his cell phone, which was flashing and and squawking an alarm. He looked up at Amu, and smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, Hinamori-san... That's my alarm for class. I've gotta go."

"Ahh, that's okay!" Amu said hurriedly, waving her hands in front of herself. "Don't apologize!"

"I'll catch up with you later, then," he said, again with that smile. "'Later, Hinamori-san!" He turned and set off at a pace that was half jog-half swift walk. Kiseki gave a nod in their direction before following dutifully.

"Ahhhhhh, he really is dreamy," Amu murmured, clasping her hands beneath her chin and sighing.

Miki rolled her eyes, but Su and Ran smiled fondly at their creator of sorts.

"If he's so dreamy, then why haven't things progressed past that one peck on the lips in 10th grade?" the blue-haired artist deadpanned.

Ran flew over and tried to stuff her hands in Miki's mouth to hush her, but it was too late.

Amu whipped around and seized the chara in her hands, her face one that could strike fear into even the most reinforced hearts of man, as she snarled, "Don't remind me."

Su gulped. "Amu-ch-chan... Miki-chan didn't mean it that way..."

Miki remained relatively unfazed. "It's a valid point. You two have had the hots for each other for about 7 or 8 years now, yet almost nothing has happened between you in that amount of time."

Amu released her guardian character suddenly, descending into a sort of fugue state. "T-Tadase-kun," she whimpered.

It took a moment for Miki to right herself, as she had plunged straight for the ground immediately after her release. "While you may have the guardian's club here at school, it seems that each excuse for you to get closer to him is wasted, because neither of you make a move!"

"Miki-chan is right..." Ran agreed softly. "And Tadase-kun confessed his feelings all of those years ago, too..."

Amu bit her lip, trying to prevent herself from frowning. "But what if his feelings changed? Think of everything that was going on at the time... All of that chaos... At least things have settled down now. Somewhat..." She cringed as she thought of the late-night runs to purge X-eggs

Inside the pouch she used to house her Chara eggs, she felt Dia's egg wiggling around, and the blonde chara fluttered up to meet her at eye-level, smiling slightly. "Don't worry. It's obvious that he still cares for you a great deal. I believe he's just waiting for you to make the first move."

"Dia?" The other 3 chara's cried at once, though Su was slightly delayed due to her cute drawl.

"Dia-chan, why have you been hiding?" Su asked.

Dia turned to face them, closing her eyes and grinning. "I was waiting until I was needed. Also, I was sleepy."

"In other words, waiting until things got interesting..." Miki mused to herself.

In the bell tower high above the school, the bell began to ring, startling Amu with a jolt. "Shit, I have to get to class! C'mon!"

Su began to weep quietly to herself. "I miss the days when she didn't say such bad words... It's something that Su can't mend."

–

"It smells so good...Unnyaaa... Don't you think so?"

"Hn."

"I'm so tired... Once I smell Taiyaki, I won't be able to resist, nya!"

His companion, Ikuto, smirked to himself slightly. "I won't be able to either."

–

_End!_

_I got all the way towards the end, and realized that I hadn't written any part for Dia. Then I was like, oh shit, better get on that junks. So I did, and I don't really know how Dia acts as a regular character, if she even becomes a regular, regular character. I kinda skipped like most of Doki (watched critical Ikuto ones heaaart) and avoided Party entirely, therefore I probably made that yellow piece of traitorous 'naritai jibun' bullshit all ooc. Idgaf though. Okay, I kinda do. XD Let me know how bad my characterization was, so I can fix it later on._

_Yeah, I'm cool and spicy, bitches._

_-cowers under quilt-_


End file.
